17,500 < Novella < 40,000 words

To Shape One's Life - 2

TO SHAPE ONE'S LIFE
Part 2 of 4

by Jeffrey M. Mahr

A tree cannot grow in the sky,
nor clouds be in the sea, nor fish live in the fields,
nor can blood be in sticks nor sap in rocks.

-- Titus Lucretius Carus<

To Shape One's Life - 1

This was written about ten years ago. The idea was to answer the question,
"What would you do if you could do absolutely anything?"
It's presented here in sections. All 4 parts are now posted

TO SHAPE ONE'S LIFE
Part 1 of 4
Prelude and Chapter One: Showtime.

by Jeffrey M. Mahr

You see things; and you say "Why?"
But I dream things that never were;
and I say "Why not?"

-- George Bernard Shaw


My Mistake, Chapter 14

Chapter 14
by Samantha Jenkins

I turned to open the door as Dr. Franklin walked into the office, followed by someone I didn’t recognize.

“Hello Morgan,” The stranger said. “I’m Doctor Phillips, I’m going to help you out, as well as consult on some stuff.” Dr. Phillips offered his hand, which I shook. He looked like he was making notes in his head. I turned and opened the dark oak door that led to Mrs. Paskly’s office. Mrs. Paskly had not moved from where she was sitting at her desk. On top of the folder were two out of school suspension forms that had yet to be filled in. I had a feeling those were for Katie and I.

The Bell Curve

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The Bell Curve
By Ricky

She had beautiful eyes. Warm, liquid brown eyes that that showed her eagerness while they bored into your soul. She was stretched languidly on the couch, her trim belly bare and her legs spread wide in invitation. I had been neglecting her terribly, long hours at work and no time for her, yet there she lay there begging me to come over and stroke her body. I felt like a cad as I stood there.

My Mistake, Chapter 12

Chapter 12
By Samantha Jenkins

I woke up to being gently shaken by Katie. She was already dressed, her wet hair hanging in a high ponytail.

“Wake up Morgan, you need to go get a shower. Jennifer will be out in a second. Your mom picked out some clothes for you to wear, they are on your bed.” I smiled up at her from my place on the air mattress. Katie offered her hand.

The Au Pair - Part 2 of 2

The Au Pair

Part 2 of 2

by RH Music

Ken, a gawky English boy, steals his sister's passport to become an au pair in America. There he encounters an inattentive husband, a frustrated wife, a rebellious daughter, and an amorous boy next door. How will he, now she, manage it all? (no sex, just a sweet, TG story)

Rhysling's Rue - Part 10

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Still, there was the fact that if given the same choice, confronted with the same circumstances, she would still have done the same thing. It was a burden none should have to bear and it was something she was stuck with. All that was left to her was to find some way to redeem herself in her own eyes, some way to counter the debt she owed to humanity.

Rhysling's Rue
Chapter 10

By Theide

 

Rhysling's Rue - Part 9

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The errant hunk of rock had been avoided at minimal cost and the entire crew breathed a sigh of relief. One more disaster avoided through the quick action of one Ensign Sarah Masters. It was her voice that had warned everyone to brace, even as she overrode the control lockouts to maneuver the ship in a way it had never been meant to move, against the direct orders of her captain. Right now she was literally shaking in her boots as she awaited her captain’s displeasure in the captain’s very own ready room.

Rhysling's Rue
Chapter 9

By Theide

 

The Magic Number

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The Magic Number

By Ricky

Some people think their Magic Number will win the lottery. Harry knew that his magic number was 59 1/2, the age when Harry retired and Hallie became real.

The Au Pair - Part 1 of 2

The Au Pair

Part 1 of 2

by RH Music

Ken, a gawky English boy, steals his sister's passport to become an au pair in America. There he encounters an inattentive husband, a frustrated wife, a rebellious daughter, and an amorous boy next door. How will he, now she, manage it all? (no sex, just a sweet, TG story)

Little Pink Pills

Little Pink Pills

Part One, by Michelle Wilder

On a clear day
Rise and look around you
And you'll see who you are.
On a clear day
How it will astound you
That the glow of your being outshines ev'ry star

(On a Clear Day, by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner)

(Reposted and Revised)

Rhysling's Rue - Part 8

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Their usual lack of chatter drew the loneliness of the vacuum about them as they soared through the deep, far off sunlight turning them half golden with glinting, unbearable brightness, obscuring the other half of each of them in blackest night. It was a sight to bewitch lesser souls, that dichotomy of light and absolute dark they each portrayed. An observer might even have said that it was a true vision of their being, but there was no one there to see it.

Rhysling's Rue
Chapter 8

By Theide

 

But Who Am I Really? - Part 2

But Who Am I Really?

Part 2 of 2

by RH Music

Hugh (Erin) and Erin (Hugh) have returned to Hugh's home in America, and they have to take each others places.
Where will it lead?

No Sad Tears

No Sad Tears
By Maggie the Kitten

Dream meets reality when Jenny wakes up and finds she is a guest star on her favorite British soap. Will Jenny's dream become reality?

Rhysling's Rue - Part 7

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What was she going to do? The captain who had brought an effective end to the largest war humanity had ever fought by inflicting the greatest slaughter ever committed posed this question to herself as she sat finishing her red beans and rice, grimacing at the taste. This youngster they had just rescued could be one of the more promising engineering geniuses of the past century, but she had no idea how to even approach the child.

Rhysling's Rue
Chapter 7

By Theide

 

Primate - Part Four

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So you're going to dress up like a little girl and play with a monkey! What's so bad about that?

 
Primate - Part four

By Mary Beth Sanford

 

Primate - Part three

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Getting caught and being made to do something is one thing. Getting asked to do something you wouldn't be caught dead doing - another.

 
Primate - Part Three

By Mary Beth Sanford

 

Primate - Part Two

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The process of dressing Steve in Susan's clothes, started shortly after he was caught, continues...

 
Primate - Part Two

By Mary Beth Sanford

 

Rhysling's Rue - Part 6

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There she was, drifting in front of him in microgravity, her burgeoning breasts teasing him, her hips undulating with the minor effort required to keep her in place, in the middle of the cabin. He felt an almost overwhelming lust for her, but knew somehow that to lunge for her and seek sexual completion was the very thing that would scare her away, so he held and watched her dance for him, a shy nymph, wanting him but frightened by the visible evidence of his manhood, standing proud, straight and twitching with desire before him.

Rhysling's Rue
Chapter 6

By Theide

 

But Who Am I Really? - Part 1

But Who Am I Really?

Part 1 of 2

by RH Music

On his last day of vacation in Ireland, Hugh picks up a beautiful local hitchhiker, Erin. That night, an ancient Irish lullaby has unexpected side-effects and the couple is thrust into a new life which they find strangely wonderful... (a body swap story)

Rhysling's Rue - Part 5

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Just a moment later they were passing the backboard back out, a pale waiflike form strapped to it. “Don’t wait for us to get out, get that kid to sickbay ASAP!” The medic was less than halfway back through the hole when the gurney the backboard had been placed on vanished through the hatch. Jeff would have loved to follow it, but he had to take care of his ship first, and that was that.

Rhysling's Rue
Chapter 5

By Theide

 

Primate - Part One (Got Milk)

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It started as a lark. Steve just wanted to see if he could do it and he did - easily. Breaking into a house was against the law but not taking anything made justifying his actions a little easier and it remained that way right up until Sally's place. It was drinking the milk out of Susan's baby bottle that would change things - and speaking of changes...

 
Primate - Part One - Got Milk?

By Mary Beth Sanford

 

An Incremental Journey - Chapter 6

An Incremental Journey

Chapter 6

By Portia Bennett

Al doesn’t realize it but her journey is ending and at the same time, just beginning. She and her companion return to her original world, or at least the world where she had been Maddy. They witness a near drowning and then everything suddenly becomes much clearer. If The Wizard needed a hanky, you might need one, too.

An Incremental Journey - Chapter 5

An Incremental Journey

Chapter 5

By Portia Bennett

Al’s life was a history of not being involved with others and she learns more about what might have happened had she. She and her companion visit another universe and follow the experiences of a family previously explored in The Heart of the Beholder and other stories. She learns a great deal about forgiveness, acceptance and love.

An Incremental Journey - Chapter 4

An Incremental Journey

Chapter 4

By Portia Bennett

Well, it’s back to being Al, and her dream companion from the first night as Maddy has returned. Perhaps it wasn’t a dream after all. Reconciled to whatever it is that she is going through, Al joins her companion on a lengthy and convoluted journey. She returns to her early school years and learns about someone who could have been a friend that she instead rejected.

The Plaintiff

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"...Why do you like dressing up, if you do like dressing up? You do like dressing up don't you? A little," Aby asked.

"I suppose I do," Mark said trying to find a way to explain this in a way that made sense.


 
The Plaintiff

By Mary Beth Sanford

 

An Incremental Journey - Chapter 3

An Incremental Journey

Chapter 3

By Portia Bennett

Maddy hasn’t given up totally on finding The Wizard, and she may have actually seen the shop in the distance during one of her trips to the mall. Her best friend has a medical crisis and Maddy stays by her side through her recovery. Maddy had thoughts about how short her life as a woman would be; however, her life is just beginning. Then she dies.

An Incremental Journey

An Incremental Journey

Part 1

By Portia Bennet

Alfred Gontarski has had the misfortune to have been born into the wrong body. It wasn’t Al’s fault he was born in the wrong body; however, he hasn’t handled it very well. Al has stumbled upon Spells ‘R’ Us and the Wizard. What Al doesn’t realize is that maybe he didn’t stumble at all. Maybe there is a reason for him being there. Whatever the reason is, Al is going to have an interesting ride.

An Incremental Journey - Chapter 2

An Incremental Journey

Chapter 2

By Portia Bennet

Al, now Madeline (Maddy) finds herself living in a rather nice assisted living home. She is intent on finding The Wizard and confronting him about her transition; however, something strange is happening. Maddy finds she is able to help the other residents in many ways. She has a rather strange dream, but doesn’t pay much attention to it. Without realizing it, she is blending in, being accepted, and she is enjoying it.

An Incremental Journey - Chapter 1

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An Incremental Journey

Chapter 1

By Portia Bennett

Alfred Gontarski has had the misfortune to have been born into the wrong body. It wasn’t Al’s fault he was born in the wrong body; however, he hasn’t handled it very well. Al has stumbled upon Spells ‘R’ Us and the Wizard. What Al doesn’t realize is that maybe he didn’t stumble at all. Maybe there is a reason for him being there. Whatever the reason is, Al is going to have an interesting ride.

Kelly's Journey -17 - Hope Renewed

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Kelly's Journey
Chapter 17: Hope Renewed
 
By Stanman63
 
Edited By Nora Adrienne with Special Thanks To Terry Naut
and to Heather Rose Brown for the Illustration!

 
Synopsis:
Kelly's recovery continues as she meets with psychiatrists and surgeons about her surgery to become a woman. In the process, she discovers a vital Truth about her Love for Johnny and why she despaired.
     
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Kelly's Journey -16- Onward

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Kelly's Journey
Chapter 16: Onward
 
By Stanman63
 
Edited By Nora Adrienne with Special Thanks To Terry Naut
and to Heather Rose Brown for the Illustration!

 
Synopsis: Kelly continues to recover and discover new things about herself as she grows and matures into the woman that she is inside.
     
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Kelly's Journey -15- Beyond Despair

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Kelly's Journey
Chapter 15: Beyond Despair
 
By Stanman63
 
Edited By Nora Adrienne with Special Thanks To Terry Naut
and to Heather Rose Brown for the Illustration!

 
Synopsis:

After Kelly's suicide attempt, she decides to continue without hope. Yet she soon finds her hope renewed and she forgives.

     
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The Mystery of the Missing Frocks

bridget_mod_face.jpg       Everything a great crime mystery should have: romance, a detective and a road chase - except that this is no "Love Story", "Sherlock Holmes" or "Bullit" and there certainly isn't a great crime. Follow our intrepid narrator as he falls in love with a girl in London, becomes a woman in Seacombe, then on to modeling in a West End fashion house and, in a "Not The Thirty-Nine Steps" finale, to the Scottish Highlands to uncover…
 
The Mystery of the Missing Frocks
 
by Charlotte Dickles

In Memory of Andrea

(whose Petticoat Detective stories provided the inspiration for this story.)

 

Kelly's Journey -13- Through the Gate

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Kelly's Journey
Chapter 13: Through the Gate
 
By Stanman63
 
Edited By Nora Adrienne with Special Thanks To Terry Naut
and to Heather Rose Brown for the Illustration!

 
After Kelly has saved her best friend and soul sister from the kidnapper Pastor Linden, she must face her hatred and overcome it or live with bitterness as her heart grows cold and bitter.
     
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